It is a well known fact that modern society has created an abundance of readily available foods, i.e., “fast foods,” and also has created an environment where entertainment has fostered a sedentary life style of, for example, watching television, playing video games and talking on the phone while eating high caloric snack foods. This has allowed people to gain excess weight by an increase in adipose tissue. Certain heredity conditions have also created areas of excess fat cells that are difficult to remove in that they are in areas that are not affected or minimally affected by diet and exercise. In areas where fat cells have excessively accumulated, normally in the buttocks, hips, and thighs, especially in women, the collagen fibers are deformed, allowing pockets of fat cells to accumulate and deform the skin surface, producing bubbles or ripples, which are known as cellulite.
“Edematous-fibrosclerotic panniculopathy” is a medical term used to describe cellulite. Cellulite affects 80-90% of women in their post-pubertal period. Cellulite is found commonly on the hips, thighs, and buttocks giving a dimpled appearance in those areas of the body. It is not a disorder, but an issue of cosmetic concern to the individual. Cellulite is more often seen in women than in men due to the structural differences of their adipose tissue. Cellulite is not related to obesity or overweight, since it can occur even in normal and thin women.
Cellulite is different from the fat cell layer in the body. Most fatty deposits in an individual depend on his/her weight, life style and genetic makeup. The fat layer in the body has important functions, e.g., insulation, and protecting vital organs, etc. Cellulite is largely due to the structural conformation below the skin which appears as lumpy pockets of trapped fat giving uneven dimpling or orange peel skin.
Cellulite develops in the hypodermis or subcutaneous fat layer, where fat lobes are organized into chambers by surrounding strands of connective tissue. Below this layer is scarpus fascia in which fat cells enlarge when weight is gained. This layer is divided into chambers by connective tissue, which attaches the top layer of the skin to the lower layers of muscle. When these connective tissues become weak, the scarpus fascia bulges upward, causing the characteristic uneven, dimpled appearance of the skin.
Most procedures are ineffective in removing cellulite except for long term dieting and exercise. The development of cellulite is genetically driven and is considered a normal condition and is thus difficult to remove.
Excessive fat depositions or “lipodystrophies” are produced by a disproportionate increase in the deeper section of the subcutaneous cellular tissues of fat cells. Lipodystrophies are, in part, genetically regulated. Each adipose cell has beta 1 (lipogenic) and alpha 2 (lipolitic) receptors in its membrane. In areas of increased beta 1 receptors a localized lipodystrophy is produced. Some families express increased levels of beta receptors giving rise to enlarged body parts, such as legs, breasts, waist. In these patients, treatment with low caloric diets exclusively is generally unsuccessful. The most effective way to treat cellulite is to directly treat the genetically altered fat tissues and similar tissues in the area of treatment.
Historically, different methods have been developed to treat cellulite, including liposuction and liposculpture. Later ultrasonic liposculpture was developed and there are some reports on “laser liposuction” (using an external laser source), but laser assisted liposuction has not yet been clearly proven to be effective.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,873 by Paolini, et al., titled, “Device and Method for Eliminating Adipose Layers by Means of Laser Energy,” discloses a hollow needle with an optical fiber in the center. The fat tissue, i.e., adipose cells, is liquefied when the cell membranes degenerate. The fluid is removed by suction through the needle. The laser is used to simply thermally degrade the cell membranes. The reported laser wavelength range is from 0.75 to 2.5 microns, with a preferred wavelength of 1.06 microns. A rounded optical fiber end is shown in FIG. 3 of Paolini, beyond the needle end. Paolini et al. use a Nd:YAG type of laser with wavelengths from 0.75 to 2.5 microns, and further note that the liquid produced may be removed from the body by normal absorption.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,605,080, Altshuler et al. disclose the removal of lipid rich tissue using an external laser, a YAG source, as well as other lasers whose output energy is in a wavelength range of 880 to 935 nm, 1150 to 1230 nm or 2280 to 2360 nm. It is noted that the radiation in the lower bands, specifically, 900 to 930, and 1150 to 1230, are preferred in the treatment of fat tissue. Specifically, wavelengths near water/OH absorptions are identified as not preferred. The use of a cooling system is recommended.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,743,215 by Bernakei, titled, “Method and Apparatus for Skin Absorption Enhancement and Cellulite Reduction” discloses a process including the application of a compound upon an abraded skin surface followed by electrical and mechanical removal of cellulite.
Publication WO 99/48474 by A. Casale, entitled, “Pharmaceutical or Cosmetic Compositions Containing Photosensitizer Substances,” discloses a photosensitizer formulation of liposomes with the photosensitizer substance activated by light of a wavelength between 700 and 900 nm. This publication describes an effective formulation of photosensitizer agent for use in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.
Most of the methods mentioned above are useful for fat reduction (overweight or obesity), while cellulite is a different condition related to fat cells which cannot be addressed effectively using the above methods. Presently there is no truly effective treatment for cellulite. There is thus a need for treatment techniques that minimize surface distortion and post operative complications, and remove or reduce cellulite from selected areas. The present invention satisfies this need.